Basil pesto crusted lamb cops with local flavours

South African chef, Lesego Semenya created this delicious Mediterranean inspired recipe to reflect the different mouth-watering flavours of our South African cuisine.

Ingredients

• 8 spears grilled asparagus
• 2 spoons avocado hummus
• 190g basil pesto
• Sea salt

For the Stir-fry

• Half a red pepper, sliced
• A handful of thinly sliced red cabbage
• 1 carrots, thinly sliced
• 2 spoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 spoons olive oil
• A big handful of Morogo (wild spinach)

Stir fry vegetables in a wok. Photo: iStock

For the Lamb

• 800g Karoo lamb chops

 For the Bogobe Ba Mabele a Ting

• 120g Maize meal
• 1 cup Mabele-a-ting (coarse ground sorghum)
• 1 ½ cups lukewarm water
• 3 cups water
• Salt

 Making the Bogobe Ba Mabele a Ting:

1. Mix the sorghum and the 1 ½ cups warm water together and place in a plastic container. Seal the container with plastic or a lid and place it in a warm area to ferment for about 3 days. ( It does get pretty pungent)
2. Bring a pot to the boil with the 3 cups of water. Add your salt to the water, about 2 pinches.
3. Mix the remaining maize meal with the fermented sorghum with a fork and stir well to remove any lumps.
4. Gradually add the mixture to the water whilst stirring constantly. Keep stirring for a few minutes until it begins to thicken slightly.
5. Cover and allow it to simmer on a low heat for about 20 minutes. Every now and then returning to stir the pot with a large wooden spoon.

 Putting the dish together:

1. The longer you cook the porridge, the thicker it will become. For a more stiff porridge, use less water.
2. Get a wok really hot without any oil. Once it’s really hot pour your olive oil in there (work fast, a stir-fry should be crunchy).
3. Add your vegetables and lightly toss them around for about 2 minutes. Remove. Add your balsamic and serve. That’s it. Quick.
4. In a bowl, toss your lamb chops in the basil pesto and lightly season with sea salt. Grill the lamb chops in the oven at the highest temperature your oven gets to for about 15mins or crispy on the outside. Serve on top of the awesome avocado humus. Enjoy!

This article was first published Living and Loving and was republished with permission.

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